You'll Be Sorry

by Lisa Gardner

A newlywed couple each with their own secrets. An abandoned lodge with a horrific decades-old mystery. And a small mountain town where everyone believes they know their neighbors…except they don’t.

For Raquel and Theo Collins, it appeared to be love at first sight. Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial wizard met and married in a matter of months, only to confront a terrible tragedy. Now, unbearably aware of the distance between them, they’ve come to a remote town in New Hampshire to begin anew.

Perched on a ledge with stunning views, the Dixon’s family lodge was once a crown jewel of the mountains. Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for thirty years. Now, its latest occupants, the Collinses, are arriving, and the former grand lodge is once more stirring to life.

For Amanda Grady, following in her father’s footsteps as the recently appointed Shereford police chief, it’s good to see a fresh start for the derelict Dixon place. However, not everyone is happy about a new family in the old home and its hidden past may have returned with a vengeance.

When a stray dog leads to the discovery of a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive. Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. The local residents, the new neighbors, and the fledgling police chief must work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or…

You’ll be sorry.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Suspense

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Lisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author of the Frankie Elkin series, as well as the Detective D.D. Warren, the FBI Profilers and the PI Tessa Leoni series.

Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!

Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!

Reviews

[Trisha]

love this author!! This sounds like a great new mystery! I can't wait to read it!!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ding dong bell, the witch is in the well.”

This is Lisa’s first (highly anticipated standalone) mystery / suspense thriller in quite awhile. She is a master storyteller and I am always super excited when she releases a new book. She NEVER disappoints.

A thrilling small town, age-old cold case that is smartly paced & that’s sure to keep you glued to the edge of your seat. As the plot unfolded, I was enveloped in a sense of dread, unease, and noose-tightening tension.

My thoughts:
* Thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.
* Masterly crafted where I found myself immersed in the world the author created.
* The setting is creepy, the atmosphere evocative & the mystery compelling.
* Deliciously twisted, clever & entertaining with unsettling damaged characters that are perfectly realized.
* A gripping memorable read which deserves all the praise.
* I devoured every word, every page, every chapter.

This was pretty much perfect for me & I’ll be recommending to everyone I know who loves mystery / suspense & a cracking good tale of twists, turns & uncertainties.

Favorite Lines: “He wasn’t just a person, he was a place, a state of being she’d never expected before and would never know again.”

“If a moth is drawn to a flame, then the Dixon family has always been my bonfire.”

Many thanks to Lisa for the gifted signed ARC. You always come through for me.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stand alone. As always, her characters filled with law enforcement depth made me want to read late into the night. There are always dogs and the case is always wrapped up.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘...𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏? 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒚𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅?"

Raquel and Theo Collins arrive in a remote New Hampshire town hoping to rebuild their marriage after a devastating loss, only to find themselves living in a lodge shadowed by a decades-old mystery where an entire family vanished without a trace. When a body is discovered on the property, the past refuses to stay buried, and what was meant to be a fresh start quickly turns into something far more dangerous. Add in a small town full of secrets and a police chief trying to prove herself, and the stage is set for a story where no one knows as much as they think they do.

This is one of those books that immediately pulls you into that isolated, almost suffocating atmosphere where something feels off from the very beginning. This author always does a stellar job of layering tension through both the setting and the characters' relationships, and she shows off that skill with how Raquel and Theo interact. There is this constant sense that everyone is holding something back, and that unease builds in a way that kept me completely locked in. I also loved how the story balances the present-day investigation with the lingering weight of what happened thirty years ago, slowly revealing just enough to keep you guessing without giving too much away.

What really worked for me was how immersive the situation felt. The setting, the secrets, and the shifting dynamics between characters all come together in a way that made it hard to put this book down. I loved the atmosphere and the layered moments of history that made up exactly the kind of gripping, edge-of-your-seat storytelling I look for in a thriller. It keeps you questioning, demands your attention, and leaves you just unsettled enough when you reach that final page. Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the early copy that will publish August 5, 2026.

[Donna Krutsinger - Mockingbird Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new, stand alone thriller by Lisa Gardner offers so many aspects that draw the reader in - a cold case, a small town New England setting, an area rich in history and folklore, and a very entailed and twisted mystery shrouded in suspense.

A beautiful young couple - Raquel and Theo Collins - move into a creepy, mysterious, and long abandoned home where six terrible and unsolved deaths occurred three decades ago. That alone, that this glamorous and vivacious couple has purchased the old Dixon property is enough to raise suspicions with Amanda Gray, Shereford's newly appointed police chief. Thirty years ago, Amanda was just a youngster when her father, Shereford's previous police chief, worked the case of the unsolved disappearance of the entire Dixon family on a stormy night. The Dixon parents and their four young children, who were never heard from again, disappeared without a trace as a bloody crime scene was investigated for weeks but then went cold.

Sheriff Gray is not the only townsperson who has doubts about the Collins' purchase of the once glamorous estate of one of Shereford's founding families. Why would anyone want to live in the house with its unsettling past?

The mystery of the missing Dixon family and the unanswered questions regarding that fateful night becomes so intricate and entailed as more characters are introduced. This multifaceted thriller by Lisa Gardner will definitely keep readers up for hours on end wanting answers to the crime.

Fans of crime related mysteries and thrillers revolving around cold cases and a plethora of suspicious characters, definitely look for this new one by Lisa Gardner when it becomes available Aug. 4th. Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Gardner clearly understands that if someone offers you a beautiful property with an abandoned lodge in the middle of nowhere and a history of mysterious disappearances, the correct response is, "Absolutely not." Thankfully for readers, her characters make different choices.

*You'll Be Sorry* hooked me with its creepy setting right from the start. The remote New Hampshire woods, the isolated property, and the long-buried secrets gave the entire story an unsettling vibe. This is the kind of book where every creaking floorboard, shadowy trail, and suspicious neighbor feels like a potential clue—or a reason to sleep with the lights on.

The mystery was what really kept me turning pages. Human remains are discovered, old disappearances resurface, and suddenly everyone seems to know more than they're saying. Every time I settled on a suspect, Gardner tossed in another twist and sent me back to square one. By the end, I trusted absolutely no one, including some of the people who seemed perfectly nice.

I also loved how the story slowly peeled back the layers of what happened in the past. The suspense builds steadily, and the eerie atmosphere never lets up. The abandoned lodge practically deserves its own character credit because it added so much to the sense of dread.

The reason I landed on 4 stars instead of 5 is that the middle section slowed down a bit, and there were a lot of names and connections to keep straight. But honestly, the creepy setting and twisty mystery more than made up for it.

Overall, *You'll Be Sorry* is a dark, atmospheric thriller filled with secrets, suspicion, and enough red herrings to stock a seafood market. If you enjoy mysteries where the setting is just as chilling as the crime, this one is definitely worth picking up.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Lisa Gardner book, but I’ve seen her recommended so many times by mystery and thriller readers that I was really excited to finally pick one up — and it definitely lived up to the hype for me. From the beginning I wanted to know more, and it became one of those reads where I kept thinking about it when I wasn’t reading and stayed up reading until my eyes were closing.

What really worked for me was how layered the mystery was. There wasn’t just one central mystery — there were so many additional secrets and questions unfolding throughout the story that it constantly gave me something new to focus on. I especially liked Raquel and Theo and found myself most invested in their parts of the story.

I didn’t find the twists predictable overall, which is hard to pull off in crime thrillers. My biggest issue was that some of the discoveries and connections felt a little too easy for the characters to figure out, especially involving the babies/wells storyline. Some conclusions came together much faster than I think I would realistically expect.

That said, the pacing completely worked for me. It hooked me immediately and never really let go. The ending wrapped up most of the major questions in a satisfying way, even if some resolutions felt a little convenient.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy crime mysteries with multiple interconnected secrets and fast-moving suspense.

[Stacey Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Gardner's latest novel was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. In a first for Gardner, this is a standalone novel, and she proves once again why she remains one of the most reliable voices in suspense fiction.

The story unfolds in an isolating setting that creates an immediate sense of claustrophobia. The atmosphere is dark, unsettling, and layered with tension, making it difficult to put down. Gardner keeps the pages turning with her sharp pacing and ability to build suspense from the very first chapter.
While the overall plot isn't necessarily groundbreaking, Gardner's strength has never been in reinventing the genre. Instead, it's in the way she executes familiar tropes with clever twists and surprising turns. Time and again, she finds ways to keep readers guessing.

The characters are well developed-damaged, flawed, and believable-and their struggles add emotional weight to the story.

Combined with the eerie atmosphere and steady suspense, they make for an engaging and entertaining read.
A quick, compelling thriller that delivers exactly what suspense fans are looking for. Dark, atmospheric, and highly readable, this is another solid entry from Gardner and one I would happily recommend.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Saffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve loved some of the author’s previous novels but haven’t read any of her books for a while so was excited to read this stand-alone. It’s set in a remote area of New England, where thirty years ago the Dixon family disappeared overnight. Their house has lain empty but has now been bought by wealthy Bostonians Raquel and Theo. We know from the start that Raquel has secrets of her own and the couple soon make a discovery on the grounds that reopens the Dixon case.
You’ll be Sorry starts off well. I was intrigued by the Dixon case and how a family of six could go missing with no trace. I loved the New England small town setting which really creates a sense of isolation and suspicion. I liked the character of Mandy Grady, the Chief of police, daughter of the police chief who led the original investigation, and who is determined to finally solve the case. I was completely engrossed in this for the first half but felt that during the second half the novel lost focus and tension in the plot. For me, there were too many plot lines and Raquel’s back story felt unnecessary. However, overall this was an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa Gardner’s You'll Be Sorry starts off with a bang. The fast-paced opening hooked me immediately as a newlywed couple uncovers a dark mystery at an isolated mountain lodge.However, the book takes a major detour about halfway through. The pacing slows down significantly when the plot dives deep into the town's history from the late 1700s. While some readers might enjoy learning about the old midwives, local witches, and tragic infant deaths, this heavy historical background dragged for me and took away from the modern-day suspense.Thankfully, the eerie atmosphere was excellent, and the mystery itself was intriguing. I just wish the book had kept up its initial momentum instead of getting bogged down in 18th-century lore.Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. As someone who has read a lot of thrillers, and now find them hit or miss, this is pretty high praise. Like all thrillers, there are a few places where you will need to suspend disbelief, but not nearly as bad as most of this genre. I found the characters interesting - and more importantly, believable (for the most part). They are not all unhinged like you would find in Freida McFadden books, which is a huge plus in my opinion. The mystery is engaging and I enjoyed trying to solve it myself. Overall, I enjoyed this and will be recommending it. I'm not sure the title really fits the story, and there are a few loose ends I would have liked to know more about in the end, but nothing major or too important.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll Be Sorry Lisa Gardner. Enjoyed this book so much more than the recent Frankie Elkin series. Gripping, suspenseful, on the edge of your seat action with a current day and decades old mystery resolved not in a way that was expected. Engaging and well developed characters. Raquel and Theo had an interesting and convoluted relationship. Amanda appeared to be overwhelmed at times but came through at the end .....Dog, Lovey, and the Canine Opportunist were favorites and had an important roles in solving the mysteries. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Lisa Gardner, Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

[Laura Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced reader copy of "You'll Be Sorry." The plot summary sounds intriguing and mysterious - just the type of psychological thriller I love. The book begins with a family that vanishes and is never seen again despite searches and police efforts. I wanted to read on to find out how and why they disappeared. The new couple who moved into their house obviously had secrets, but I had a hard time loving these characters.

The writing is fine, but for whatever reason, the hooks weren't in, and I had a hard time getting into this book. I tried it twice and ultimately did not finish.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family of 6 disappears from their home in the midst of a snowstorm, leaving behind only bloody footprints. Thirty years later, a young couple purchases the property and soon discover an abandoned well hiding a centuries old secret. Are the mysteries tied together? Who knows more than they're saying? From the small town police chief to the recluse "witch of the woods", each character plays a part in this gripping mystery. Lisa Gardner does a great job of building suspense until the very last pages. I highly recommend this book! 5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: When I was offered an ARC of YOU’LL BE SORRY, I shrieked like a child who’d been given an entire toy store for Christmas. I love Lisa Gardner’s writing. So while I might be a little biased here, I’m also right. 😉

This complex, dark, small town mystery had its hooks in me from the very beginning. The plot was perfectly layered, maintaining suspense throughout, and the atmosphere had the kind of eerie, unsettling vibes that kept me on edge.

I have to give a shoutout to the dogs in this book. Their personalities shone. No offense to the human characters, but the dogs stole the show for me. ❤️

*Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the free ARC!*

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this author in awhile and this sounded really good. I was excited to get to it. The Dixon family disappeared from their mountain family Lodge thirty years ago. The case was never solved. Now, Raquel and Theo Collins are moving into the lodge. The couple has some secrets of their own, and the mystery of what happened all those decades ago, comes back with a vengeance.

I did enjoy this book, but you definitely have to suspend your disbelief. I was fine with that. The setting was creepy and the plot was entertaining. I thought it was suspenseful and tense. I'm happy I read this one!


Thank you to the publisher, and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[emma mcguinness · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Will Be Sorry completely hooked me from the very first chapter. The story is fast-paced, full of tension, and kept me guessing throughout. Just when I thought I had worked everything out, another twist would come along and make me question everything.

The characters felt believable, and the author did a great job of building suspense without sacrificing emotional depth. I found myself constantly wanting to read “just one more chapter” and ended up flying through the book.

If you enjoy gripping thrillers with plenty of surprises, drama, and an ending that leaves an impact, I would highly recommend this one. A thoroughly entertaining read that kept me engaged from start to finish.

[Dawn Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
You can’t go wrong with Lisa’s books. She always writes a winner!
Raquel and Theo, a newly married couple decide to purchase a home that needs a lot of updating but in such a beautiful location. The downside - a family of 6 disappeared from this home. what happened? Where are there?
Amanda, police chief in the small village where rumors and gossip are big must investigate when a dog finds bones at this newly married couples home.
Grab this book to find the years old mystery of the family disappearance!

[Nique Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to read this ARC.

Lisa Gardner is an auto buy author for me, she never ever misses with her books, they're always some of my favorite reads.

With Raquel and Theo purchasing a home that a family disappeared from, an automatic continous read for me. I could not put the book down. All the questions I had, I needed answered immediately. The pacing of the storyline was perfect. With all of the twists and turns, you'll be shocked and a little spooked. A perfect read.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes when an author has a long running series you like it takes a while to get into a stand alone, but this had me from the start. Tense, twisty, mystery…with an adorable stray dog. Lisa Gardner just gets better and better and I loved reading this book: loved the increasing tension, loved each reveal, stayed up far too late to finish it and couldn’t put it down. I know it's a stand alone but I'd love to revisit the world: likeable characters and a mystery with roots deep in the past.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki Ruzick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the premise of You'll Be Sorry and was immediately drawn into the mystery. The Dixon case was by far the strongest part of the book for me, and I enjoyed following that investigation. However, the story felt a little overcrowded with the multiple plot lines competing for attention. While some of those added depth, I found myself getting distracted from the original mystery that interested me most. Overall, it's an engaging read with a great concept, but it didn't fully deliver on its potential for me.

3.5 *

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. When a young married couple buy an abandoned house with a mystery attached, what could go wrong? 30 years ago the entire Dixon family just disappeared without a trace and no one was ever charge with the supposed crime. Throw in a hundreds year old mystery, pirates treasure and witches and you have one heck of a wild ride, I really enjoyed this book.

[Christa Viada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Review

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity.

This book didn’t hook me in the beginning. I don’t know if I just started reading it too late or too soon after finishing another book, but I just could not get into it for a while. There were a couple of times I was afraid I would DNF.

But I preserved and kept going and ended up REALLY enjoying this book!

It is full of secrets, witches, pirates, dogs! Murder. Disappearance. It really has it all.

[Annette Pena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and I am so happy I did! First, it takes place in New Hampshire, a state I grew up in and mentions Nashua which is the city I am from. Aside from that, the story was SO GOOD! It is a thriller within a mystery and for once, I didn't have a clue what was going to happen next or how it was going to end! I highly recommend this book and will be looking to read other books from this author!

[Valerie Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't stayed up late to finish a book in a while, but this one made me do so! Immediately the story drew me in, the different storylines, and how everything came together in the end. Lots of good twists. Lisa Gardner just knows how to write a mystery! I do wish a couple of things had been explained a little bit more, particularly the history, but the pacing of the reveals was great.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
For anyone who wants to know. The description of this book is mostly from the police officers point of view.
I was excited to read this book because the blurb talked about a young couple buying a piece of property with a dark history and the towns secrets unfolding from there.
This just wasn't for me.

[Beverly Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in Goodreads giveaway and I was absolutely thrilled!

This book was full of twists and turns from the first page. I liked how well-developed the story was and how each character played into the plot. One of my favorite characters in the book wasn’t even a main character but Lisa Gardner made each character interesting.

[julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisty, intricate novel with a great storyline and interesting characters. The author has added many little subplots to keep the reader guessing. Loved the historical witchcraft theme- this really added to the story engagement. Definitely a good holiday read- pick it up at the airport or pack it in the suitcase! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

[Ana Sosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the perfect October read... its spooky, it's engaging, it's poetic. I really enjoyed it, it has incredible writing. I am a big fan of Lisa Gardner and this book is no exception. I truly think this is a perfect fall book.

[Lisa Cazaubon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally won a book from Goodreads and from one of my favorite authors at that. I felt like I hit the lottery and this book didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t read fast enough to figure out what the heck was going on! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for Lisa’s next book.